The president traveled to a Border Patrol station in Texas, as the partial shutdown enters its 20th day. The trip comes a day after the president walked out on a meeting with Democrats.
The president abruptly ended spending talks Wednesday after congressional Democrats rejected his demand for a $5.7 billion border wall. A partial government shutdown stretched into its 19th day.
The change announced on Thursday is designed to prohibit migrants who cross the border outside of designated entry points from seeking asylum in the U.S. It is almost certain to face legal challenges.
President Trump addressed what the White House called a "crisis" of illegal immigration on Thursday, underscoring what has become the central focus of his midterm election campaign.
A record number of migrant families arrived at the Southwest border over the last year, despite the Trump administration's effort to deter illegal immigration by separating families at the border.
In August, immigration officials hauled off 150 workers from a northeast Texas plant — one of ICE's largest operations in a decade. Now the employer is pushing back.